Breadcrumb Trail Links

Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame announces 2019 inductees

Author of the article:

Vito Pilieci

Publishing date:

January 28, 2019 • 3 minute read

Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips (4) celebrates his last second goal during third period NHL action at Scotiabank Place Thursday, October 22, 2009. The predators won in over time 6-5.Darren Brown/ Ottawa Citizen

Article Sidebar

Share this Story: Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame announces 2019 inductees

Trending

Article content

Chris Phillips and the 1968 and 1969 Ottawa Rough Riders are among the list of inductees who will be added to the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame this year.

The induction ceremony, which will be held on May 31 at the Horticultural Building at Lansdowne Park, will see Chantal Benoit, Chris Phillips, Rick Desclouds, John Halvorsen, along with the 1968 and 1969 Ottawa Rough Riders included as its 2019 inductees.

Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame announces 2019 inducteesBack to video

Phillips, a former Ottawa Senators’ defenseman and alternate captain with the team, had an 18-year career in the NHL. In that time he played in 1,179 games, and holds the team record for longevity with the club. He was selected first overall by the Senators in 1997 entry draft, and represented Canada twice at both the World Championships and the World Junior tournaments.

Chris Phillips.Julie Oliver/Postmedia

Benoit was a member of the Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball Team from 1984 to 2011 and is widely considered to be the best player in the sport’s history. She represented Canada at six Paralympic Games, winning two Gold Medals. She received the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation ‘s highest honour, the Gold Medal Triad Award, for contributing to the growth of wheelchair basketball domestically and internationally.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

Desclouds coached championship teams in baseball, track and field, cross-country, and basketball. He is best known for his coaching achievements in volleyball. After 35 years as a teacher at Glashan Public School, he coached the Spikers to an astounding 32 Elementary School Championships, and 10 Ontario Cups.

Halvorsen is being recognized for his career as a middle distance runner. Born in Norway, he was Norwegian National Champion at 5,000 and 10,000 metres before moving to Canada, and settling in Ottawa. He has competed in two Olympic Games, and is a four time winner of the Canadian Intra-University Cross- Country Championships, and countless other honours in middle distance running. His time of 28:12 in Ottawa 10k was a course record that endured for 20 years. He has been instrumental in helping to expand Ottawa Race Weekend into an International Athletics Associations Federation (IAAF) Gold Standard event.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

The Ottawa Rough Riders teams of 1968 and 1969 were powerhouses in the CFL, as they won Grey Cups in consecutive years. Led by Hall of Fame quarterback Russ Jackson, 29 of 36 players were on BOTH teams. The 1969 team was named “Canada’s Team of the Year” by the Canadian Press. Jackson’s four touchdown passes in the 1969 game, remains a record to this day. Of the 29 players who played on both teams, eight are in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, in addition to legendary head coach, Frank Clair.

“The selection process is always extremely difficult and this year was no exception”, said Dave Best, chair of the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame. “Once again, we received a large number of very strong nominations from the community, a reminder of the broad range of sporting achievement and commitment to excellence that exists in the nation’s capital. This year’s class is exceptional, not just for their contribution to sport, but what they have done for our city.”

The Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame is located in the Heritage Building at Ottawa City Hall and honours more than 250 local athletes and coaches who have made a significant impact on the sports culture in the nation’s capital.

Share this article in your social network

Share this Story: Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame announces 2019 inductees

Trending

Related Stories

This Week in Flyers

Article Comments

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Notice for the Postmedia Network

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.